Kimi Koi Calendar
by imangieee
Summary: A year after the Straw Hats found the great treasure, they decide to settle down and raise a family. With every misfits from the kids and even the parents, the crew is living one hell of an adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: A year after the Straw Hats found the great treasure, they decide to settle down and raise a family. With every misfits from the kids and even the parents, the crew is living one hell of an adventure. **

**Been planning this for a year now, but here it is! Probably a boring first chapter, but just like GLA and NWU, this will probably have more than just a couple chapters. I know my updates have been slow lately, but I've organized everything and set things straight. I love writing, and I love writing for you guys. I'm not letting that go.**

**If you haven't read my Under One Sky OneShots series, then chapters 46-50 shows little hints before the first chapter of this story begins. I've been planning on doing something like this ever since I started Grand Line Academy, so I hope you all like it. **

Luffy ran fast, but not too fast. He didn't want to lose the little ones pursuing him from behind. He's had multiple adventures on various islands and meeting so many random people, but playing with their children has been the most fun he's ever had.

"You can't catch me! I'll never get in the water!" yelled Luffy. When he looked back, he didn't expect Kaito to be right behind him. He was right by his feet when he touched him and yelled "it!". He was a faster runner than he thought, as expected from Sanji's kid.

"Now you have to go in the water with us!" said Anna.

"Oh, do I now?" The two little ones ran for the lives when Luffy took off after them with his "claws" raised in the air. As soon as he caught up, he threw them over his shoulders and started heading for the ocean.

"Don't go too far, Luffy!" Nami yelled from her beach chair.

"Haaii~!"

The Pirate Queen sat at her throne beside the girls. Unlike the guys, the girls decided to take things slow and let the others have their fun. Having three crazy kids and one childish husband, Nami needed a break once in a while.

"You seem more relaxed than usual, Nami-san," said Vivi. The blue haired princess was no longer a princess anymore. After her father passed away and marrying Sanji, they became the new king and queen of Alabasta. Although, it was her decision to leave home and move into the same island the rest of the Straw Hats were inhabiting. Igaram and his wife took the throne upon Vivi's request. Sanji didn't mind. He respected her decision, nevertheless, he loved being a prince more than being a king.

"Can you blame me? Living with four childish monkeys has taken a toll on me."

"Having that kind of life style isn't so bad," said Kaya. "Its kind of fun actually."

"But you only have Usopp and Yasopp."

"Why didn't you go for more children, Kaya?" asked Robin.

"We just thought that one was enough. But look at you two. You're glowing brighter than ever."

Robin smiled politely. She turned to Vivi, who like herself, was pregnant. What are the odds that the both of them would become pregnant at the same time? Their husbands were making bets as to see who's would come out first. It was a bet with an unpredictable outcome, but Nami and some of the Straw Hats were in on it as well, and putting money aside, it was entertaining.

Back at the water, Luffy was trying his best not to get overpowered by the saltwater. It killed him that the kids were having the time of their lives in the ocean and yet, he can't enjoy that with them.

"Daddy?" Anna noticed her father's trembling legs. Suddenly, Luffy was patted in the back, albeit harshly. He turned around to see Zoro and Sanji behind him and the rest of the guys running towards the ocean.

"Baka! What would happen if you suddenly drowned? Anna-chan or Kaito can't swim," said Sanji.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Zoro picked up a floating Chopper and placed him over his shoulders. Although the reindeer is now in his early 30's, he hasn't grown much.

The little doctor coughed up some water. He stared at the two kids having fun with their little floaties. "Not fair! Swimming must be so much fun."

"Ehhh, I feel weak," Luffy slurred. He leaned on his first mate's shoulders for support. "Zoro, get rid of the water for me."

"Like I could get rid of the water, Dumbass."

"Thirteen years later and you'd think he'd be mature by now," said Sanji.

"Ehhh, where are the other kids?"

"Over there!" Chopper pointed. "Usopp's teaching them how to surf."

"Usopp can't surf..."

Further into the ocean, the rest of the children were piled onto one surf big board. Three of them sat on their own boards while Usopp sat on a surf board of his own.

"Since when did you know how to surf, Uncle Usopp?" asked Haru.

Usopp smirked. "I've had a couple years of experience with surfing. "You have to be one with the waves" was how I learned it."

"Still, with a few couple sea kings here in the ocean, I'm surprised you'd even come out here. With the sea kings I've seen around here, they'd eat you whole, so you might still manage to stay alive for a little bit," said Zero. The long nosed sharpshooter tensed up at the mention of his most feared creature. Just like his mother, he was never afraid to be blunt.

"D-Dad, are you sure this is safe?" asked Yasopp.

Taichi laughed at Usopp's reaction to the realization. "Sea kings won't matter to us. When will the lesson start, Great Uncle Usopp-sama?"

Usopp felt his confidence rising again. He wiped away an invisible sweat from his cheek and smirked triumphantly. "Well then, shall we begin?"

"Taichi, don't you already know how to surf? I saw you out here just last week," said Aria.

Taichi turned to his raven-haired friend. Just like her mother, her sapphire eyes shined bright from the sun. Her raven black hair was slicked back from being drenched. She, along with her older brother, Zero, were the only ones participating in Usopp's little surfing lesson. Their youngest sister, Riki, stayed on the big surfboard with the other kids. Truth be told, he's been getting his own lessons at home, waver lessons that is. So, what makes the waver and surfing any different?

"Relax, I'll be here for you when you fall."

"Uh..that's not what I meant."

After Usopp's long explanation on surfing, Taichi, Aria, and Zero were sent out on their own. Together, they waited on their boards for a wave to come in.

"Whoever doesn't get eaten by a sea king eats big tonight," said Zero.

"You're on," Aria accepted.

Taichi chuckled. "You Roronoa's don't know when to quit."

"Speak for yourself."

"..Well, I'm off first!"

"O-Oi!"

Taichi paddled towards the flat ocean. Zero and Aria were right on his tail. Aria, being the last to follow, couldn't see why Taichi would go on ahead. There was no sign of an oncoming wave anywhere.

"Why are they going?" asked Riki. "There's no wave..."

"Riki-chan, you don't see it?" asked Syo.

"Look closer," said Haru. Riki couldn't understand what they were trying to say. She didn't see anything. It wasn't until she saw the three being lifted by a sudden wave that she knew she was mistaken. They struggled at first, but once they got their footing right, they were a natural.

"By the way, Syo, I thought you wanted to go out there?" asked Yasopp.

"But Aria-chan really wanted to go. I couldn't say no."

"Like father, like son," Usopp murmured with a sigh. Not only did he sound like his father, but he was like a spitting image as well. He inherited his blonde hair, not his curly brows, thankfully. Unlike his little brother who received his mother's shining blue hair. One thing that did seem odd about Syo was that he wasn't as bold as his father.

"ARIA!"

Usopp turned to the three kids out there and noticed that one was missing. He noticed the rest of the kids sitting on the board feeling antsy.

"TAICH! ZERO!" Usopp called out.

"ARIA FELL OVERBOARD!" yelled Taichi.

"DON'T WORRY! I'M COMIN-"

"NO! TAKE THE OTHERS AND GET BACK TO THE SHORE! ZERO AND I WILL HANDLE IT!"

Usopp saw Taichi jump onto Zero's board and started paddling away from the shore. He was feeling agitated.

Yasopp could see the tension and hesitation in his father. "Dad..."

Back at the shore, Nami was watching Usopp and the kids from her chair, so when she saw Aria falling overboard, she started to panic. "Aria! Aria fell over!"

"Aria?"

Robin was the first to react. She sprouted a couple arms to help herself up. She and the rest of the girls ran towards the water where Luffy and the others were.

"Zoro!" yelled Robin.

"Hm? What is it?" Zoro yelled back.

"Aria!" Robin pointed. The guys turned towards the ocean and saw Usopp pulling the kids back towards the shore.

"Wait, where's Taichi and Zero?" Luffy noticed.

When the kids finally reached back the shore, they ran to their respectful parents. Robin tightly held onto her youngest daughter.

"What happened?" Robin asked Riki.

"I don't know. Nee-chan fell over and Nii-chan and Taichi went after her."

Nami overheard. "Taichi went?!"

Franky noticed Luffy and Zoro's slow reactions. In fact, they weren't reacting at all. Instead, they were watching intently, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Are you not going?" Franky asked.

"Taichi knows what to do," said Luffy.

"Zero too."

Franky shrugged.

Taichi was paddling as fast as he could. Zero was supporting him from behind. The further they swam, the harder it came to be to keep up with the current. Unlike his mother, he can't detect the current of the waves or the weather patterns. Unlike Zero who was as smart as his mother, yet strong like his father, he still had a long way to go.

As Zero was keeping up with his pace, he noticed something dark move underwater.

"Taichi! Did you see that?!"

"Aa! We need to hurry!"

The two boys were stopped in their tracks when a sea king leaped out of the ocean. It was a giant goldfish. Aria gaped in horror. It wasn't the size that was the problem, it was how close it was. She couldn't move. She couldn't reach for her katana that was strapped on her belt. She was too scared. Not once has she ever encountered something like this before.

"Zero!"

"Aa!"

Aria turned to the boys. She saw Taichi jump back on his hands and pull his legs in. Zero jumped on his feet where Taichi shot him up towards the sea king's head. Next, Taichi jumped off the board and raised it high vertically. Using all his strength, he threw the board towards the sea king, hitting a bulls eyes by stabbing his eye.

The sea king screeched.

It was Zero's turn. By placing both of his sheathed katanas on each of his side, he had his hand on both of the handles. In one swift motion, he brought out both katanas together, slicing the giant fish, then sheathing them back. The result was a giant 'x' on its side.

The sea king landed back in the water with a giant splash. Zero landed on top of his artwork. Aria couldn't help but stare in awe. The two were perfectly in sync. But the waves were too much for her. She was getting tired just keeping herself above the surface. Before she knew it, the water was pulling her down. She reached for the surface, but she was losing her vision. The next thing she felt was a pair of arms wrapping around her waist.

* * *

**Luffy's and Nami's kids:**

Monkey D. Taichi - 13 years old

Monkey D. Haru - 10 years old

Monkey D. Anna - 5 years old

**Zoro's and Robin's kids:**

Roronoa Zero - 13 years old

Roronoa Aria - 11 years old

Roronoa Riki - 9 years old

(Baby along the way)

**Sanji's and Vivi's kids:**

Syo - 12 years old

Kaito - 6 years old

(Baby along the way)

**Usopp's and Kaya's kids:**

Yasopp - 10 years old (honestly can't find another name that would match Usopp's -.-')


	2. Chapter 2

When Aria opened her eyes, everything was hazy. She could feel the sun radiating her damp skin, the sand sticking to her skin, and she could feel someone pounding her chest rapidly. She felt too exhausted to react. She blinked once to get a clear vision of who was doing this to her. Suddenly, that person pinched her nose, then she could feel a pair of lips on her own. She held her breath in surprise. When that person moved his head, she got a clear view of that person's face. It was Taichi.

"Thank god, you're okay. We thought we were going to lose you for a second," Taichi said with a big grin.

"You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" asked Chopper.

It was then Aria realized, everyone had gathered around. Everyone was watching Taichi giving her CPR. Not to mention, her parents were right in front of all of them. Could this get any more embarrassing?

Riki got down on her knees and placed a hand on her cheeks.

"Are you okay, Nee-chan? Your cheeks are red."

"E-Eh?" Aria lightly patted her cheeks, in hopes of removing that blushing stain.

"That's enough surfing lessons for today," Robin said while glaring at Usopp.

"Okay, I guess I'll take responsibility," said Usopp.

"You guess?!"

Usopp squealed in fear. "It's all my fault!"

Zoro crouched down next to his daughter. Aria was hoping for a long lecture from her father, but instead..

"So, how was it like seeing a sea king for the first time? Was it cool?"

A hand, preferably Nami's, slapped him upside the head. "Baka! That must've been terrifying for her!"

"I thought it was cool," said Taichi.

"Didn't look as big as I thought it would be," Zero added. Nami shuddered. To think that their thirteen year old sons would think something like _that_ was too small. She remembered when she was around their age, she'd be terrified just to see just one sea king, no matter the size.

"Oh, that was just a baby one. There's a ton more bigger ones out there," said Luffy.

Nami slapped him upside the head harshly. "Don't tell them that!"

"If only I was out there. I'd kick it to another sea and save Aria-chan," said Syo.

"Oh! That's my son!" Sanji cheered on.

Robin sighed heavily. "I think I've had it for one day."

"The sun's almost setting. How about a bonfire?" asked Kaya.

"That sounds like a great idea, Kaya-san! I have so many bonfire songs!" said Brook.

Aria sighed. She expected everyone to go hectic and leave the beach immediately, but thankfully that didn't happen. Then again, she should've expected Uncle Usopp to brighten up the mood or Uncle Luffy to make a joke out of it.

Taichi placed his hand out. "Can you stand up?"

Aria accepted his hand and pulled herself up. Accidentally, she tripped over her own foot, resulting to her falling on Taichi's chest. Luckily, he maintained his balance and kept the both of them up.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just a bit shaken up," Aria replied with a comforting smile.

"Dad's watching. I wouldn't go any farther than hugging if I were you," Zero murmured to them. Aria glanced to the others and saw her father eyeing the both of them. She pushed herself away from Taichi. Taichi, on the other hand, seemed confused as to why she would push him.

"Taichi-nii-chan!" Anna ran to her older brother. Taichi caught her and placed her on his hip.

"Did you see me out there, Anna?"

"Yeah! That fish was so big and you and Zero-chin were so cool!"

Taichi chuckled. "I bet I'm way cooler than Haru-nii-chan, right?"

"Un!" Anna agreed.

Haru overheard. "Tch, a little thing like that? I could do _waaay_ bett-"

Anna's stomached growled.

"Yooosh! Let's get you something to eat!" Taichi walked away with Anna still in his arms.

"Ignored?!"

Aria gently patted Haru's back. "Don't let him get to you."

When Aria regrouped with her mother and Riki, she noticed the absence of two more people. "Where's Dad and Zero?"

"They went with Uncle Luffy and Yasopp to find some wood for the fire," replied Robin.

"Aw, I should've went."

"I think you've had enough adventures today." Robin patted her head. "Remember, you're not as skilled as your older brother yet."

Aria pouted. "Its not like there's anything dangerous in the woods."

Robin sighed. She glanced down at her youngest daughter. Unlike her older siblings, she took no interest in swords. Just like her mother, she was interested in books and history. Something Robin was thankful for. She had enough swordsmen in the family already.

"What are you reading?"

"A story about a man who's trying to avenge his father's death. Its really intriguing." Robin smiled and gently patted her head. Riki was more mature than the other kids around her age. She would follow Zero and Aria where ever they went, but she was quiet most of the time.

She reminded her of herself when she was her age. Without real parents or siblings, she spent most of her time alone. Some kids would bully her when they found out about her devil fruit. Every time, she would ignore them, even if they would come back. Thankfully, Riki doesn't have that life. Zoro and Zero are protective over her, Aria plays with her all the time, and the other kids adore her.

"Riki-chan! Do you want to come fishing with us?" Syo yelled from the beach.

Riki placed a bookmark at where she left off. She set it down on the blanket before taking off to meet with Syo, Kaito, Taichi, and Anna at the beach.

Robin gently rubbed her belly. In just a few more months, she'll be having her fourth child. She only hoped this little one will turn out like the other three.

"You know how to fish, right?" Syo asked while handing her a fishing rod.

"It's pretty easy," said Taichi. "You'll get used to it. Even Kaito's getting the hang of it."

Riki accepted the rod. Just like when she saw Uncle Luffy and Uncle Usopp fish, she threw the line into the sea.

"See, you're getting the hang of it already." Taichi, on the other hand, was helping Anna keep the rod steady. Although the rod was too big and heavy for her, she wanted to fish along with them.

"I wonder if we'll catch a big one," said Syo.

"If you don't catch anything, don't even bother coming back for dinner! ...That doesn't include Riki-chan and Anna-chan!" Sanji yelled from his little cooking area on the beach.

"I guess we better catch a big one," said Riki.

With Luffy's group, he along with Zoro, Zero, and Yasopp left the others to go find some firewood. They've been walking around for a long time, and Yasopp's starting to notice the sky getting darker.

"Why's it taking do long for us to get some wood? Let's just cut down a tree and head back," said Yasopp.

"You don't understand, Yasopp! We have to find the perfect tree! We're gonna have a huge bonfire! Just like the one we had on Sky Island!" said Luffy.

"Oh, so that's what we're going for?" said Zoro.

"Yosh, Yasopp! cut down that tree!" Luffy exclaimed while pointing to the tallest tree.

"Isn't that why we brought along swordsmen!" replied Yasopp.

"Doesn't look hard," said Zoro. "Zero, you can handle it, right? Can you use the new attack I showed you?"

"I've only seen you do it twice. It might be a little scratchy, but I'll give it a try."

"Yosh! Go Zero!" Luffy chanted.

Yasopp took a couple steps back. He watched as Zero jumped high from where he stood. He had his grip on the handle of only one of his katanas. Yasopp hardly saw what he did with it. He was so swift, he couldn't keep up. Zero started falling back down, but there was no change to the tree. He landed back to where he was just standing, next to his father.

One by one, starting from the top, pieces of the tree fell into a pile. Up close, the cut was perfect. There were no rough edges, nor was there any different shapes. They all looked identically the same.

"Not bad," said Zoro. "Some of the edges are slightly slanted though."

Yasopp was amazed by Zoro's statement. He couldn't find anything wrong with the wood. Zero was very skillful for his age. Being the oldest out of all the kids in the group, he should've had more experience.

"Any way is fine with me," said Luffy. "Let's bring all of this back to the beach. Its getting dark out. Yasopp, help us out."

"Huh? Uh, coming!"

When the sun finally set, the fire was lit and the food was served. The fire was nearly one and a half stories high, lighting the area all too brightly. Luffy, Taichi, and Haru were devouring their food more rapidly than the others. As expected from the Monkey boys.

"Jeez, I see you're traits were passed down as well," said Sanji. "Thankfully, Anna-chan's not as disgusting as her father and brothers, right Nami-san?"

Nami glanced towards her only daughter. Because of her tiny mouth, she had difficulty biting into her large piece of meat. Her cheeks were stained with meat, but she looked adorable either way. Nami giggled and lightly patted her head. "I have a feeling she'll be a big eater too."

"At least she'll look cute while doing it..where as..." Sanji glanced back to the boys.

"What? We're hungry!" Taichi said with a full mouth.

"Dad taught us to eat as much as we can in case something were to happen," said Haru.

"You're dad grew up in the mountains and lived with bandits. I don't think following his influence matches your situation," said Nami.

"What do you mean, Nami? We've learned to live with that!" Usopp said with his own mouth full. Beads of sweat were rolling down Nami's temple. Not only Usopp, but Yasopp and Chopper too were following Luffy's lead. Now that he mentioned it, she almost forgot how a meal went on board their ship. It was a "take-what-ever-you-can-before-Luffy-takes-it-all- for-himself" battle. Although Luffy was considerate enough never to touch the girls' plates, it was a war with the guys. Ultimately, that was passed down to their kids, considering their father's lack of table manners.

Brook sighed deeply after taking a sip of his tea.

"Now that everyone's almost finished with their meal, how about some ghost stories!"

"Yeah!" Syo agreed.

"Noo!" Usopp and Yasopp said in unison.

"You still have some ghost stories up your sleeve?" asked Zoro.

"Well, of course! But this time, its actually a rumor I heard while I was in the village."

"A rumor?"

"So this is real?" asked Zero. He was interested in where this would play out, especially since it caught the old skeleton's attention.

Brook smirked. "Maybe? Maybe not?"

"I want to hear this."

"Wait, is it that one rumor about the mountains?" asked Vivi.

"Correct!"

"You've heard it, Vivi-chan?" asked Sanji.

"I heard it around the grocery stores downtown. Everyone's been talking about it."

Brook cleared his throat. Slowly, he raised a lit match below his jaw to make it seem more dramatic.

"Now this story was taken place long before we arrived on this island. Just like the people today, they were going about their everyday lives. Housewives cooked, although sometimes the men cook. The young kids went to school, and got picked up from their parents as usual. Hm, I wonder when that school was built because it looked older than me, yohohoho-"

"Brook..."

"Ah! As I was saying, one girl in particular did not fit in with the crowd. Everyone thought she was too pale for a normal human. She had long black hair that flowed against her back. She wore a white one piece dress, and she hardly looked any older than six years old. One day, she was walking from school when a group of guys walked up to her and bribed her with candy. The next day, the townspeople found her body up at the mountains. She was dead. But after that, everyone that's been going up to the mountains would suddenly disappear and never return. Some say the ghost of that little girl still lives and kills anyone that walks by her grave. Some say she does it for the candy. No one has lived to tell the true story... DUN DUN DUUUNN!"

"That's obviously a fake," said Nami. On the other hand, Luffy and Taichi were out of their seats and looked as eager as ever.

"I want to see!" the father and son said in unison.

"The ghost of a girl still living. Interesting," Riki murmured to herself.

"I want to see this too," said Aria.

"That "rumor" has gone to full extent to even be called a rumor," said Franky.

"I want to see and find out with my own eyes," said Zoro.

"Don't you mean 'eye?'" Sanjii teased.

Anna and Yasopp were clutching onto the legs of their respectful mothers. Chopper was tightly holding onto Zoro's arm, afraid where all these reactions will lead them.

"Zoro, don't go!" Chopper begged.

Robin giggled. "Actually, I want to see this as well."

"Yosh! At the break of dawn, we're hiking up that mountain to see if that ghost girl really does exist!" Luffy commanded.

* * *

**Fun Facts:**

**- "Kimi Koi Calendar" is a song by Tomohisa Sako/ShounenT. [I love all his songs. They're so cute x)]**


	3. Chapter 3

"No! You are not going up there!" Nami demanded.

Luffy pouted. Thinking alike, his two sons pouted as well. This earned a chuckle from Zoro when he saw the three's similar faces.

"Why not?" Luffy whined.

"You're going to cause another mess for the towns on the island. I don't want to have to give away more money for the things you destroy on the island!"

"That was one time."

"You nearly destroyed a whole town!"

"But we didn't," Haru contradicted. "It wasn't that bad. Just a few scratches and bruises here and there. No big deal."

"You can count on me, Mom! I'll make sure nothing goes wrong!" Taichi reassured her.

Nami facepalmed. "I'm worried about _all of you_."

"But Nami~!"

"But Mom~!"

"Considering its been thirteen years since we last went on an adventure, I would've thought you'd want to at least go on a little adventure," said Zoro. "You acting like a mom to everyone makes me sound old."

Sanji snickered. "You _are_ old."

"How old are you again? 'Cause the last time I checked, I'm the same age as you."

"Robin!" Nami pleaded to her close friend for support.

"I'm sorry, Nami. I want to see this ghost too."

"Of course." Nami shouldn't need to ask Robin in the first place. She loved anything thriller. "Kaya! Vivi!"

"I don't mind," said Vivi. Kaya nodded in agreement.

Off to the side, Zoro lightly nudged Brook using his elbow. When Brook shifted his eyes to Zoro, he saw him nodding towards Nami. It was then the skeleton realized what he was trying to say.

"You know, Nami-san, I also heard a rumor that that little girl hides all the money to herself."

Nami glared at the skeleton. She knew where he was going with this. "I'm not falling for that again."

"You sure? It might be true," said Zoro.

"You just made that up!"

"Did we? When we moved here thirteen years ago, I don't think we scouted this entire island yet. And I don't think your map is fully detailed with everything on this island."

"I've still got a lot of years left to live. I'll explore every inch of this island when I want to."

Zoro sighed. "You leave me with no choice then."

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper backed away in fear when Zoro raised the straws. So far, it was always one of them having the most unfortunate luck when it comes to his. Nami at Thriller Bark, and Usopp at Punk Hazard. Fortunately for Chopper, he has yet to be chosen.

"Five of us will go with Luffy and the kids."

"Jeez, Zoro! Why can't you just let the people who want to go go!" said Usopp.

"Ugh, the people who want to go are full of idiots anyway, and I'm not talking about the kids," Nami added.

Sanji was surprised when Robin reached out to grab a straw. "Robin-chan! You're pregnant! You shouldn't be taking a part in this."

"I'm only three and a half months pregnant. Besides, I can manage on my own."

"Sanji-kun's right! Zoro, aren't you worried?" asked Nami.

Zoro shook his head. "When I'm not around, she'll have a couple arms that will grab her when she falls."

Nami sighed. As much as she wanted to increase the numbers of people that were willing to go, she didn't want to bring Robin into this if it meant getting her hurt. She hesitantly reached for a straw as the others waited on her. The kids gathered around and watched tentatively. Together, they pulled on their straws at the same time. Who ever had a straw with the end painted red will be the ones to go with Luffy.

With good luck, the ones that were actually willing to go were Zoro, Robin, Franky, and Sanji. Unfortunately, Nami was a part of them.

-x-

"Is everyone all packed? We don't know how long we'll be out," Sanji called out to the kids.

"Everyone's all packed," said Robin.

Taichi lightly patted the head of his little sister. "Are you going to be brave today?"

Anna smiled hesitantly. "I'm not scared! I'm a big girl!"

Taichi grinned. He crouched down to her level and gently placed his hands on each of her shoulders. "Then you won't run away?"

"No! Mommy said never run away like Uncle Usopp. He looks weird when he runs away."

After overhearing what Nami's daughter had to say, the long-nosed sharpshooter glared at her mother for even telling her such a thing. In return, Nami lightly patted the top of her daughter's head in approval.

"I've taught you well, Anna."

Syo tapped the ground with the ends of his toes. His shoes might not be as strong as his father's, but the strength in his legs have increased a lot. Out of all the kids, he's the fastest.

"When are we going? I feel restless," said Syo.

"You're really excited," Riki noticed.

"If we see any of the huge animals living in the mountains, I can finally see how fast I can run away."

"And while you're running away, I could slice up that animal and have it served for lunch," Zero intervened. "Shows just how much fighting strength you have."

Sanji glared at the little green-haired swordsman. Not only was he almost the spitting image of his father, but he had his tongue as well. In response, Zoro patted his son's shoulder in approval.

"I've taught you well, Zero."

Aria adjusted her katana on her waist. Rumors about the mountains circulated throughout the island, and they weren't pleasant ones. Their mothers made it very clear never to go up there no matter what. Even often times when they would have dinners together as a crew, a few of the guys would hike up the mountain and bring back their meals. If their fathers can handle it, they should be safe. But there was no telling what could happen up there.

Robin held out a yellow backpack for her.

"Are you prepared for anything that will happen up there?" asked Robin.

Aria lightly rubbed her mother's belly. "I should ask you the same thing."

"Are we ready?" asked Luffy.

"I'm full on cola!" said Franky.

"Nami?" The captain looked back. His wife wasn't by his side, but at the back of the group. The navigator took a deep breath. She nodded and gestured for them to move forward. Luffy shrugged. He removed his straw hat and placed it on Anna's head. He reached down and picked her up, much to her surprise. He set her down on his shoulders. He lightly lifted his shoulders, making her rock a bit.

"You okay up there?" Anna tried to adjust the straw hat on her head. Because she was still small, it was too big on her head. She was trying to do this with one hand, while the other tightly held on to her father's hair. "You okay, Princess? If anything happens, Daddy's got you."

Anna nodded, but the fear in her eyes were clearly visible.

When the group started to hike up the forest, the others waved them goodbye. Usopp and Chopper let out sighs of relief, until Nami looked back. Her hands were clapped together, begging for one of them to take her place. Usopp and Chopper pretended not to notice by whistling and lightly scratching the ground with their foots. Nami grimaced.

"When do you suppose they'll be back?" asked Brook.

"Probably no later than around dinner time," suggested Vivi. "I'm sure Nami wouldn't want to be up at the mountains once it gets dark, and I'm sure the younger kids wouldn't like to be out when its dark."

"But they're strong," said Chopper.

"But what if something happens?"

"Maybe Nami was right. Maybe this wasn't a good idea," Kaya murmured with a hint of hesitation.

"We'll decide that when the sun actually goes down," said Usopp.

Meanwhile, with Luffy's group, it was only the break of dawn, and almost everyone in the group was wide awake. As long as Nami had some sort of light where she could see everything in her surroundings, she wasn't scared. Truth be told, she didn't expect to bring out her clima tact out for such a thing. She assumed she'd be done with that thing when Taichi was born. But the adventures will never end as long as she's with Luffy.

"Does anybody know where we're heading?" asked Franky, who was following the group from behind. If anything jumps out from behind, Franky's large body will be the one to protect them. Luffy and Zoro took the lead.

Nami sighed. "Brook showed me the way. He says its up in a cave on a mountain."

"Dad, was the forest from where you grew up in just like this?" asked Haru.

"Hmm, almost," Luffy laughed when flashbacks about his time with his brothers flashed through his mind. "I was nearly killed a ton of times by my brothers when I was around your age. It took me a while to get them to like me."

"Didn't your Jii-chan throw you into the jungle on your own?" said Sanji. The cook could see his captain's lips quiver at the mention of his grandfather.

"D-Don't remind me."

"What? Are you still scared? Jeez, for a man in his eighty's, I'm sure his power must've gone down."

"Oh please, he controls himself whenever he sees Nami or Anna. Whenever he comes to visit, he doesn't just pick on me anymore, he goes after Taichi and Haru too!"

Robin was surprised about this. "Really?"

Haru nodded. "Jii-chan doesn't want us to become a pirate like Dad."

"He wants us to be the next big admirals for the Marines," Taichi added.

"How's that been on you?" Zoro asked Nami.

Nami facepalmed. "Its never a peaceful visit whenever he comes over. He brings Luffy and the boys up in the forest to train them with the animals."

"So, that explains why Taichi and Haru are so strong," said Aria. "I thought Uncle Luffy was just being hard on them."

"He's probably not as strict as our dad," said Aria. "Dad always trains Nii-chan and I everyday."

"He's not as hard on me," murmured Riki.

Zero chuckled. "You don't need to worry about training."

Aside from being the youngest, Riki wasn't really interested in swordsmanship like her older siblings. It left Zoro and Robin feeling anxious because she was so small and defenseless, but Zero didn't mind. The eldest Roronoa may not be as amazingly strong as his father, aka the "Greatest Swordsman in the World," but he had a reason to keep training, and that was to protect the ones important to him, especially when he has stubborn and fragile sisters like Aria and Riki, and another baby along the way.

"Does that mean Zoro or Aria will take the title as the world's greatest swordsman by killing their dad?" asked Yasopp.

Nami giggled. "I would like to see that."

"The day they take my title will be the day that cook learns not to go overboard with those eyebrows," said Zoro.

"Or maybe the day when you learn how to walk in a straight line," replied Sanji.

"Guys, we have a problem," said Taichi. Just before his younger brother passed him, Taichi held his arm out to block him. He pushed him back before he could fall. In front of them was a cliff and a river right below them.

"What's the matter? There's a bridge," said Luffy.

"But look at the bridge, Daddy," said Anna.

"What about it?"

"I don't think that bridge is strong enough to even hold us up," said Zero. The bridge was wide enough to hold at least two people side-by-side. Other than that, it was very old with a couple planks missing. Nonetheless, there was no telling whether it will hold them up if they all went at once. It was a big fall with a strong river flowing downhill. One mistake could ruin everything.

* * *

**Random Fact:**

**- Riki was the last child I came up with. In other words, she was never supposed to take a part in this story, but she was later created due to future reasons you will see towards the end of the series (;**


	4. Chapter 4

Sanji lightly tapped the bridge with his foot. "If we go slowly and keep our balance straight, I'm sure we can make it through in one piece. Just try not to rock it so much, Luffy."

"What?" Luffy stared up at him innocently. Out of all the kids that came along with them, the cook just happened to stared at him like he was the worst out of all of them.

"Should we go one at a time?" asked Aria.

"That would take us forever," said Zero.

"Luffy should start us off," suggested Franky. "If anything happens to the bridge, he can just rocket himself back up here and we'll find another route."

Luffy shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Luffy picked up Anna off his shoulders and set her down where her mother grabbed her hand.

"Daddy?"

"I'll see you on the other side." Luffy winked.

"Be careful, Dad," Haru warned.

"Don't think so lightly of me." Luffy stared at the bridge. Now that he looked at it, it was pretty long and the river down below is a long drop. Whenever he and the guys would come up here to hunt, they never used this bridge, because they never needed to. If they were still traveling on their journey, this wouldn't matter to him, because he could easily catch himself, but he has kids now, and he had to consider that.

"What if I fall into the water," Luffy murmured to himself.

"We'd still dive down after you, Captain," said Zoro.

"Um, I'm staying here," said Nami.

Luffy chuckled. He took one step forward. The weight of that one foot slightly rocked the bridge vertically. With another step forward, the bridge rocked again. Slowly and steadily, Luffy moved forward cautiously. It wasn't until he was halfway that he heard a small crack from one of the planks he was stepping on. From the sound of the strong waves below him, he couldn't tell which it was. He glanced back. He could see Nami's anticipation on her face and the anxiety in Anna's.

Luckily, Luffy made it safely to the other side. He waved to the others and gestured that it was safe to cross. "It's safe! But be careful!"

"So, who's going next?" asked Zoro.

"We'll go as a couple, just in case," said Robin.

"Haru and I will go," said Nami. "Taichi, I'm leaving Anna to you."

Taichi nodded. He watched as his mother and brother took their turn on the bridge. When they were a quarter of the bridge away, he held his hand out for his sister to take. "Let's go, Anna."

The raven-haired little Monkey took his hand and grasped it tight. Together, they took their first step onto the bridge and continued further slowly.

"Sanji, you're next," said Robin.

"Of course, Robin-chan."

"Take Riki with you," said Robin, who was tightly clutching Riki's shoulders.

"Hai! Let's go, Riki-chan."

Zoro was glaring at the cook from behind as the two started on the bridge. At least he knew who to confront if there were any scratches or bruises on his youngest daughter's body.

"If anything happens, I'm going after you first." Riki turned back to see her mother's reassuring face, and her father's hard glare to Sanji.

"Syo, Yasopp, you're next, then it'll be Franky and Kaito," said Zoro. "Zero, you'll be with your sister."

Zero turned to his parents. "What about you two?"

"We'll be right behind you," Robin reassured him.

Aria was feeling uneasy about all of this. After hearing all the stories of their adventures from her mother, she saw a pattern in all of them. They always got separated. In any way possible, they always got separated.

Zero was about to enter the bridge when he turned back and saw his sister spacing out. "Aria."

Aria snapped out of it. She clutched his arm as they stepped forward. Up in the front, she could see Nami and Haru nearing the end of the bridge. Aria was surprised how well this bridge could hold all of them up, despite its appearance.

"How are you holding up?" asked Sanji.

"Barely," replied Riki.

Sanji turned back to the two boys behind him. "Syo, how are you?!"

"I'd be fine if Yasopp wasn't shaking the bridge."

"Shut up!" said Yasopp. The two boys have reached halfway, surprisingly. Yasopp tried his best not to look down, but the cliff where Luffy stood was right in front of his eyes, it was hard to look away. The second he wasn't paying attention to where he was stepping, he heard a squeak from one of the planks.

"Did you hear that?" asked Yasopp. He paused to a stop.

"Just keep walking and it'll all be over," said Syo. Yasopp took one step forward, but it was a big mistake. When he took that one step forward, the plank brook in half, causing him to fall and the bridge to shake unevenly. Everyone on the bridge held onto the ropes for dear life.

"Yasopp! Get it together!" Luffy yelled from the end.

"Yasopp!" Kaito yelled from behind. Syo tried to help his partner up, but Yasopp's leg fell through the hole.

"Come on, Yasopp. You gotta help yourself up!"

It may not look like it, but he was definitely trying. The only problem was that he was trying to make sure the bridge wouldn't shake anymore. When he finally got the balance to bring his leg back up, the two planks supporting him snapped, bringing not only him, but Syo down as well.

"Yasopp!" Luckily, he grabbed a hold of the ropes before he could fall. After missing the ropes, Syo grabbed the only thing he could reach before falling into the river, Yasopp's leg.

"Nami! Haru! Quickly! Taichi! Hurry and get over here!" yelled Luffy.

"Zero! Aria! Franky, hurry back! Quickly!" Robin called out.

Yasopp could feel the part of the rope he was holding onto getting smaller and smaller. He shut his eyes tight and gritted his teeth. "Shit!"

"Huh? What's the matter?" said Syo.

The ropes snapped. Right down the middle, the bridge snapped in half. Everyone on the bridge, without a warning, were pushed by gravity.

Taichi tightly held onto his little sister. Anna was screaming for her life while tucked in her brother's arms. While holding Kaito on his shoulders, Franky tried to grab the edge of the cliff with his Strong Right, but he had fallen too far to reach. Like his father, Yasopp tried hard to "swim" back to the cliff. Syo took a big breath, prepared for the water beneath them.

Robin crossed her arms. Millions of arms sprouted from the walls forming a big hand to catch them with. While using her power, she could feel the pain at the pit of her stomach. This happens every time she overused her powers while carrying a child. She'd use her powers at the slightest like a couple arms here and there, but this was an emergency.

Zoro could sense the pain in Robin. He uncrossed her arms and pulled her back from the cliff.

"No! We need to save them!" yelled Robin. She sounded panicked and desperate.

"They'll be fine! It's you I'm worried about! We agreed with Chopper that you wouldn't use your powers until after you're due!"

Robin pushed his hands away and headed back for the cliff. "They're gonna-"

Zoro turned her face to face him and lightly caressed her cheeks. "Robin, calm down. They'll be all right. Everyone knows where to go. We'll meet them there."

"The kids.."

"Zero knows what to do in this situation. Aria's with him and Riki's with that idiot cook. They'll be fine."

With an arm wrapped around Aria protectively, Zero thought of the ways to stop their fall. Having no other choices, he dived for the rocky wall. He unsheathed a katana and stabbed the wall. The fall was delayed, but their fall became bumpy. Unfortunately, they didn't slow down. Zero brought his feet up to the edgy side of the cliff, but he skidded down the wall unpleasantly.

Suddenly, he lost his grip on his katana. The sword slipped out from the wall and followed its master into the water. Zero fell into the water before he had the chance to even reach it. Now, his first priority was to make sure Aria was safe, and get out of this strong current. As much as that katana was dear to him, it would have to wait.

The only ones who haven't reached the water yet were Nami and Haru. Nami was holding onto the end of the broken bridge with one hand while holding onto Haru with another. Luffy stretched an arm out and grabbed Nami before they could fall into the water. Unfortunately, he had to use his other arm to wrap it around a tree to hold himself from falling. As he pulled them back up slowly, Nami could feel her grip on Haru slipping.

"M-Mom.."

"Haru!" Nami tightened her hold on his hand, but he was slipping from her. Haru grabbed her wrist with his other hand, but he was sweating from the pressure. He looked down and saw the others being washed away by the current.

Haru closed his eyes.

"H-Haru, what are you-" Haru slipped his hand out of hers. "Haru!"

Luffy heard her screams. He looked down the cliff and saw his son falling into the water as well. "HARU!"

The Straw Hat Captain pulled Nami up faster. Once she reached the edge, he helped her up then shook her shoulders vigorously. "What happened?! What happened to Haru?!"

Nami tried to catch her breath. "I was losing my grip on him. He slipped himself out of my hand!"

"Shit." Luffy walked to the edge. If it wasn't for his devil fruit, he'd jump in with no hesitation. He glanced up and noticed Zoro and Robin still on the other side of the river.

"Zoro! Robin!" Luffy called out. The swordsman and archeologist looked up to see Luffy waving to them.

"Nami's all right," Robin murmured.

"What should we do?" Luffy asked Nami. "Everyone knows where to go, right? Should we try to find the others, or go to the spot?"

"Finding out whether the ghost is real or not is the least of my problems right now," said Nami. "I just want my kids back."

Zoro sighed. "Splitting up won't help us."

"We'll travel down the path of the river and try to follow them," Robin suggested. "We'll try calling for them through den den mushi if it wasn't washed away by the river."

"Nami and I will search through the sky," said Luffy. "If they start walking, we'll spot it. You guys search by ground. Robin, don't overuse your powers!"

Robin frowned.

Nami climbed onto Luffy's back. When she was perfectly secured, Luffy stretched his arms onto a branch and rocketed them into the air.

-x-x-x-

"Grab onto my hand!" yelled Franky. Along the river, Franky and Sanji pulled themselves and some of the kids onto shore. Kaito and Riki were already on shore, catching their breaths. Syo and Yasopp were holding onto a branch that was secured on two large boulders to keep them from being pushed by the water.

"Yasopp, quit shaking!" said Syo.

"Do you see that water! We're lucky I grabbed onto it!"

"You wouldn't have grabbed onto it if I hadn't seen Dad and Franky at the shore!"

"Quit arguing!" yelled Franky.

"Syo! Yasopp! Just take Franky's hand and he'll reel you in!" Sanji shouted. Syo nodded. After shaking up a terrified Yasopp, Syo moved pulled himself towards Franky's hand. Yasopp followed behind. They gripped onto Franky's large hand as tight as they could because of the water. Franky reeled them too quickly that the two boys crashed into Sanji in the process.

Sanji coughed. "We're still missing some people."

"Nii-chan, Nee-chan," said Riki.

"Taichi and Anna, too," said Franky. "And the last time I saw Haru, Nami was holding onto him when Luffy caught them."

"Damn." Sanji lighted another cigarette. "At least we have all our stuff. Not sure about the food, though. Who knows how far the river took us. The current was so strong, I could barely see."

"Dad, there's something coming down the river," said Kaito.

Franky and Sanji ran to the water to see if any of the other kids that had fallen had shown up. They were surprised to see that it wasn't any of the ones they were expecting. "HARU!"

While trying to fight the wave, Haru looked up when his name was called. He was so happy to see the others safe.

"Haru! Swim over here!" yelled Sanji. It took all of Haru's strength to swim over to the shore before he could pass it. When he finally got close enough, he grabbed Sanji's hand where he was harshly pulled away from the water. Sanji landed on his back with Haru landing on top of him.

"What happened? What about Nami?" asked Franky.

"She's fine. Mom's safe," Haru panted.

"Then, what happened to you?" asked Yasopp.

Haru hid most of his face into Sanji's chest. His long orange hair covered the one eye that was visible. "I could feel Mom's grip on Dad slipping. I had no choice. I had to let go."

Sanji sighed. He patted the kid on the head. He could tell he was on the verge of tears, but he was proud of him. "You did good."

"That leaves Taichi, Zero, Aria-chan, and Anna-chan," said Syo. He pulled out a towel from his father's large backpack and placed it around Haru's shoulders.

"If Haru was the last to fall in, I doubt any of them fell behind," said Yasopp.

"Then, we missed them. Let's just hope that they're together with a den den mushi on them," said Sanji.

* * *

**- Haru's character design is actually based on a male Nami [or Namizou] from fanarts I've seen in the past. I've just narrowed it down to where he acts his age, yet mature in serious cases. **


	5. Chapter 5

Laying flat on his back, Taichi panted to catch his breath. Next to him, Anna was breathing heavily. The fall scared her to death and if her brother wasn't there, who knows what would've happened. Furthermore, if Zero and Aria hadn't pulled them out of the river, who knows where they'd end up.

Aria took out a towel from Taichi's bag and started wiping off the water from Anna's dampened hair. "I wonder how far we went. We drifted away really far. Uncle Sanji and the others are probably safe, I'm sure."

Zero was sitting on top of a boulder, squeezing his shirt dry. "Do any of you have a den den mushi on you? Mine got washed away."

"So did mine," said Aria. Taichi patted his pockets, but the bulge he was expecting wasn't there. He took a deep breath.

"Mine's gone too."

"Anna, don't you have a den den mushi?"

Anna shook her head. "Mommy didn't think I needed one."

"Mom didn't think we'd get separated, until now..."Taichi grunted while sitting up. His clothes and his raven black hair were drenched from the water, and now dirty from the dirt when Zero and Aria pulled them up. He took his shirt off without going somewhere private.

"Uh, let's get you changed too, Anna," said Aria. She lightly pushed her behind a tree to give them some privacy. Zero chuckled. He could see right through her. Taichi took a spare shirt out from his bag and put it on. Then, he rummaged through his bag and Anna's bag.

"Looks like most of our stuff got wet, but its not that bad." Taichi opened one of their bentos and sighed in relief. "Our food's okay, thank god."

Zero chuckled. "Where would you be if you didn't have food with you all the time?"

"Hey! I was taught by Dad and Jii-chan that you need to eat to survive in this world. And since Dad's not here to take my food, the food's all mine...with an exception for Anna."

"I know. I've been to your place many times for lunch and dinner and I still haven't learned my lesson."

"And that is?"

"In that house, when it comes to food, its every man for himself. I still don't get how Anna and Auntie Nami survive in that household."

"Because my mom's in charge. If we steal any food from her plate or Anna's plate, we don't get any meat for a week."

"That's just plain cruel," Zero said sarcastically.

"I know right!" Taichi replied without sensing the sarcasm.

Aria and Anna stepped out from behind the tree in new clothes. Aria was finally out of those soggy clothes and now she's more comfortable for hiking. "So, should we start heading back?"

"You want to go back?" asked Zero. Aria eyed him.

"You don't want to?"

"I'm just saying, we traveled so far already, might as well keep going."

"Without a den den mushi, who knows where we'd end up! Dad is going to kill us if we move forward, and it'll only worry Mom more."

"We won't take that long," Taichi added.

"Not you too!"

"Come on," Zero whined. "The mountain's right up ahead. I bet Anna wants to keep going, don't you Anna?"

Anna shook her head in fear. "I'm scared."

"Come on, Anna." Taichi crouched down to her level. "Your Onii-chan's here to protect you. I promise I won't let go of your hand. If you get scared, I'm here."

Anna gently took his hand. Aria placed her hands on her hips.

"Aren't you the least bit worried about what your parents will say when we come back?"

"We'll be quick," said Taichi. Zero threw his backpack over his shoulders and tossed Aria's to her. "We should get going if we want to get back before the others notice."

Taichi led the way up the forest while tightly holding onto Anna. Zero followed up behind. Aria sighed and followed their tail. "When we get in trouble, I'll say I was held hostage."

"Whatever you say," said Zero who rolled his eyes. Unlike him, his sisters were very stern when it comes to obeying their parents, especially since their father's the greatest swordsman and their mother's practically a devil's child. They show no mercy.

-x-

Speaking of the devil parents, Robin was leading the way down the river. If Zoro led the way, even if they just had to follow the river, he'd lose his path somehow.

"You're not hurting anywhere, are you?" asked Zoro. Robin was walking pretty fast for someone who should watch their step, especially since they're next to the river.

Robin sighed. "For the millionth time, I'm fine. You worry too much."

"How can I not?" Zoro sighed. "I'm turning into that curly-eyebrow bastard."

"What ever happened to 'she'll be fine, she'll have a couple hands to help her when something happens.' We've been through this _three_ times already, Zoro."

Zoro raised his hands in the air in defeat. "Okay okay."

After Robin went through pregnancy three times, Zoro learned to deal with her random hormones. After thirteen years of experience, he can handle any of her emotions. She spoke to him with body language and girl talk. He has definitely conquered the female's language.

"This is far. How long have we been walking?" asked Robin.

"About fifteen minutes."

Robin sighed deeply. "I hope the kids are okay."

"If that idiot cook lost sight of Riki, I'm gonna-"

"Hun.."

"Huh?"

"I'll help you out."

Zoro smirked.

-x-

Along with the group walking up the river to meet up with Zoro and Robin, a den den mushi was placed on Sanji's shoulder so the cook could help the kids climb up the path. On the other end of the line was Luffy and Nami.

"If we're meeting up with Zoro and Robin, where are you?" Franky asked the den den mushi.

"We'll look for Taichi and the others. They were probably dragged further down the river and missed you guys," said Nami.

"You sure? They might've continued on to the mountain to find the ghost girl," Sanji suggested. Nami didn't respond. Both he and Franky grew tense when neither Luffy nor Nami replied. "Uh, Nami-san..?"

They hear Luffy clear his throat. "Erm, for the meantime, just meet up with Zoro and Robin. Don't get separated. Just leave the other four to us."

"And what do you want us to do when we do see them?"

"Set up a campfire," Nami finally responded, but her voice was stern, "that way we'll be able to find you by the smoke."

"Great thinking as always, Nami-san!" Sanji tossed the den den mushi to his eldest son when Nami disconnected the call.

"How much longer do you think until we meet up with Uncle Zoro and Auntie Robin?" asked Yasopp.

"If they don't lose direction because of Uncle Zoro," Haru teased. Yasopp chuckled, until he noticed Riki's death glare. This time, Franky chuckled. The little girl was just as scary as both her parents.

-x-

Over half an hour has passed and Taichi's group has not stopped to rest yet. Out of all of them, Anna was taking the long walk with difficulty. She could feel her legs giving way and her eyelids closing. Taichi, who was holding onto her hand, felt her pace slowing down. He looked down and saw her trying to keep her eyelids open.

"Are you sleepy?" asked Taichi.

"Mm.."

Taichi paused to a stop. Aria, who was right behind them, stopped as well.

"What's the matter? We're wasting time if we stop," said Aria.

"I know," replied Taichi. He looked around, but couldn't find the person he was looking for. "Where's your brother?"

"He's tree hopping and scouting the area."

"Yo, Zero!" Taichi yelled. "Can you carry this for me?"

Taichi tossed his bag high up in the air. Out of no where, Zero moved from one of the tree branches and caught the bag in midair. He landed perfectly on the next branch, but almost lost his footing. Taichi crouched down in front of Anna and hauled her up on his back. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head behind his neck.

When Taichi continued on, Aria followed behind. "I could've carried your bag, you know."

"No need. That bag's pretty heavy anyway. Zero can handle it."

Aria felt offended. "Is it because I'm a girl?"

Taichi looked up ahead and smiled. "Not really."

Aria furrowed her brows when she saw him smile. "Then, what?"

Taichi turned his head slightly and met her eyes. "Because I'm a gentleman."

-x-

As he jumped from one tree branch to another, Luffy kept a tight hold of Nami on his back. Now that half an hour has passed, he could feel Nami growing more concerned through her grip tightening.

"Nami.."

"Luffy, can we take a different route? I want to check something out."

"What about the kids?"

"Trust me."

-x-

Due to the silence between her and her husband, Robin couldn't help but notice the beauty of the forest. It reminded her of their journeys and the islands they stopped by. The large trees and their large roots reminded her of Upper Yard in Skypeia. She'd imagine a cloud river going around the trees with sky sharks swimming in them and south birds lurking around.

After settling down and raising a family, she'd secretly wish she could sail out again along with the crew. Every journey risked their lives, but she loved the feeling of it anyway. Maybe one day, when their kids are older, they could be a part of the crew as well and they could sail around the world together as the New Straw Hat pirates.

"Robin, do you see the head of a lemon too? Or is it just me," said Zoro. Robin looked up ahead and saw Sanji's head and Franky's body appearing from between the trees. She felt a huge weight being lifted from her chest.

Leaving the group behind, Riki came running in. Robin walked faster when she saw her shining raven black hair shine in the sun.

"Mommy!"

Robin hugged her youngest tightly.

When Franky's group got closer, Zoro was still glaring at Sanji.

"What?" asked Sanji.

"Why does she have a scratch on her leg?" Zoro asked harshly. Robin overheard and she too was surprised. Riki took a step back, and that's where Robin noticed her leg wound. It was a bruise.

"Relax, it's not like she's bleeding. She fell while we were hiking up here."

"Still, it took us half an hour to get back up here on foot. Luffy and Nami still haven't found the others?" asked Franky.

"Maybe they got lost," Yasopp suggested.

"But Auntie Nami's there. I don't think they'd ever get lost with her around," replied Syo.

"Aside from that, we need to set up camp to let them know we're okay," said Franky.

"I'm sure you'll be fine on your own with setting up camp?" Haru said with a smirk.

"Please, I could do it before you can count to ten."

"Are the first nine seconds not enough for you?" asked Yasopp. Franky glared, and Haru and Yasopp glared back. The challenge was on.

-x-

Meanwhile, Taichi's group was nearing their destination. Although she only slept for a good twenty minutes on her brother's back, Anna woke up feeling recharged with strength. She managed to keep up with Taichi's pace, who was leading the group, while Zero was right behind them, and Aria was lagging not far behind.

"Where are we on that map?" asked Zero.

"We're almost on it. Mom's map is really detailed. We passed that tree with a branch that looked like Uncle Usopp's nose," replied Taichi.

"Aria, if you don't hurry we're leaving you behind!" Zero called out. Aria hissed. They've been walking for what felt like hours. That was more walking than she's ever done in her lifetime. She turned around She could see the split between the trees where the river was located. It was pretty far. She was impressed she even managed this long. Aria sped up her pace until she was right behind her brother.

"Taichi, are you sure you're reading that map right?" asked Aria.

Taichi glared at her. "Since I'm the only one that can read a map around here, you really shouldn't doubt me."

"Isn't that the cave?" Zoro pointed. He could see the top of a dark opening just above a hill. Taichi looked down at his map.

"I think it is-" Before Taichi could finish, the two siblings sprinted into a run, racing one another to see who could reach the cave first. Taichi sighed. Anna looked to her older brother.

Taichi smiled. "Let's go, Anna."

Steadily, Taichi climbed up the hill with Anna in his arms. It was pretty steep, which would've been difficult for the little five year old. As he neared the top, he could see the backs of Aria's and Zero's heads near the edge. The cave was still at a good distance away from the top of the hill, which means something made them stop.

"What's going on?" Taichi called out. "Why'd you stop?"

Taichi quicken his pace while watching where he stepped at the same time. Anna, who had her arms wrapped around Taichi's neck tightly, kept her eyes closed to avoid looking down.

"Taichi-nii-chan, hurry," murmured Anna. When they finally reached the top, Taichi almost accidentally ran into his friends. He looked down the hill and was pretty impressed with himself for even climbing it without using his hands.

"Why'd you stop?" asked Taichi.

"Th..They beat us," murmured Zero.

"Mommy!" yelled Anna. When Anna yelled, Taichi froze in his place. He was scared to turn around, to see the expression on their faces. In order to know the truth for himself, he turned his head. It was impossible to have missed it. Now he understood why these two had stopped in their tracks.

Standing at the entrance of the cave, _expecting_ them, were Luffy and Nami.

* * *

**(08.16.13) School starts back for me in exactly ten days.. and I'm starting college! Its crazy thinking about where I am today and how I got here. **


	6. Chapter 6

"I CAN'T _BELIEVE_ YOU THREE!" Nami yelled out of anger. "First, _Taichi_! How could you put your five year old sister into such danger!"

"I saved her, didn't I?" Taichi pointed out humbly, afraid that his mother will double his punishment for speaking back. Nonetheless, he had to make his point. Who knows, he might lighten his own punishment.

"Before bringing her out here alone!" Nami intervened. "You don't know how dangerous the forest is, or how many animals lurk around here. You're lucky you didn't come across any."

"We could've taken them," muttered Taichi. Nami rubbed her temple to ease of her tension. All that worry and stress she had been carrying on her shoulders have finally been lifted. Clearly, it was the 'mother's instinct' in her talking. She just wanted to go home now and reward herself with a nice hot bath for even making it this far.

"You're grounded for a month."

"What?! That's not fair!"

Nami shook her head, indicating she was done with the situation for now. "As for Zero and Aria, I'll let your parents handle the both of you."

"I was totally against the whole thing!" Aria held her hands up in defense. "I wanted to go back to the others, but these two wanted to keep going! I couldn't go back on my own."

"When we get back to your parents, we'll see how we'll handle the both of you."

"Should we go back then?" Luffy asked while holding Anna in his arms. While Nami was giving the kids a lecture, the raven-haired little girl discussed with him all the things that have happened since the fall on the bridge. She was scared when the bridge broke, but since she had her brother by her side, she knew not to worry. Taichi never let her go once during their voyage down the river. When they were climbing towards the cave, Taichi never left her side; he even carried her on his back while she was asleep and climbed up the hill on his own.

Luffy was proud, of course. Taichi might've done all those things, but dragging her deeper into the forest was still wrong. Who knows? If he tells Nami everything Anna told him, she might lighten up his punishment. Even he knew, first hand, how cruel Nami's punishment can be.

"Looks like Sanji-kun set up the smoke for the camp all ready," Nami noted, eyeing the smoke coming from over a mile away.

Aria sighed. "Mom's going to kill us when we get back."

As Nami talked with the kids, Luffy sensed something different in the air. One person. Someone was watching them. They weren't near, but they were at a distance where they could at least see them. As far as he knows, the forest is surrounded by wild animals, similar to the ones he grew up with when he lived with Dadan and the bandits. So, for one person to be hiking alone up here is unusual.

Nami noticed Luffy scoping the area. He looked tense, a sign that something was wrong.

"Luffy?"

"I think someone's listening to us," murmured Luffy. Nami pulled the girls closer to her. "Taichi, can you feel it?"

"Its faint, but I can feel another person's presence," replied Taichi. He searched around the area, hoping to at least get a glimpse of someone hiding behind the trees or bushes. He knew how to control his observation haki -the only haki he actually got to learn about-, but not to the point where he's a complete expert at it. For all he knew, he could be reading the signs wrong.

"So, we're not alone then," mentioned Zero.

"I don't think it's anything harmful," noted Luffy. "I don't sense any huge animals around the area."

"Wait.." Taichi looked deeper into one area of the forest. There was something odd with the scenery he was gazing at. From the distance, he could see something small and white next to a tree. When he moved closer, he could make out a face. A little girl's face.

"Oi, Taichi, what do you see?" Zero approached his best friend, but was taken aback when he took off in a sprint. "Taichi?!"

"A girl fainted!"

When the group gathered around the girl Taichi had mentioned, they were set with mixed feelings about the pale little girl. Her head was perched on Taichi's legs, while the rest of her body was stained with dirt; even her little blue dress was stained by her adventure in the forest. Her shining white hair was in a mess and her body was bruised everywhere.

"She's so young," Nami noted, kneeling beside her. "She looks like she's no older than Anna. What is she doing out here?"

"For what ever reason she's doing up here, I think she's had enough of it." Luffy gently picked her up. "We'll take her to Chopper first."

After regrouping with the others, they immediately packed and headed back home. Due to the little girl's circumstances, punishment for the three troublemakers had been brushed aside for the time being. Even the incident with the bridge was never brought up in fear of Vivi's and kaya's reactions to their children being involved in all that. Now, everyone is at the Monkey residence where Chopper is doing his treatment to the little girl. When they regrouped with the rest of the crew, it set off a large amount of tension and curiosity.

"I'm sure she was separated from her family in the forest," Vivi spoke up. "She's so young. All those bruises, I feel terrible."

"Do you think she could be the ghost girl the rumors were referring to?" Syo questioned.

"That's terrible," said Kaya. "How could they say such a thing?"

"I can't help but wonder how long she's been out there," said Franky. "We found her really deep in the forest, and she had nothing on her. No weapons, nothing."

"What'd you expect? She's just a kid," said Sanji.

Chopper, Luffy, and Nami stepped out from the guest room. Chopper's expression looked strained and the couple looked very concerned. Everyone in the living room turned to them, waiting for the news.

"She was beaten badly, but no damages left permanent except for some scars around her body."

"How is she now?" asked Sanji.

"She's sleeping, for now. When she wakes up, Luffy and I will take her to into town and we'll try to locate her parents," said Nami.

"She's staying with us?" asked Haru.

"She could've stayed at Chopper's, but he has his hospital to worry about. Therefore, we'll be responsible for her."

"I guess its settled then," said Kaya.

"Well, while we're all here already, I'll make dinner. Nami-san, is it okay if I use your kitchen?" asked Sanji.

"Go ahead."

"Sanji! Meat!" Luffy chanted.

"Yea, yea, whatever."

Just like their days on the ship, eating together as a crew was a hectic meal, especially with the kids involved now. The Monkey residence was roaring with bickers, chants for seconds, and the mothers calming everyone down. Just another typical day as usual.

-x-

While everyone was asleep, Nami couldn't even close her eyes. She was feeling a sudden pain in her stomach which made it hard to ignore. Luffy's arm was wrapped around her waist as he snored. Nami turned over, not even caring whether it might wake him up. She poked his cheek multiple times, but still the rubber man wouldn't wake up. In spite of that, Luffy opened one eye.

"Nami.. what's wrong?" Luffy asked, half asleep.

"You're snoring's as loud as ever," whispered Nami.

Luffy groaned, then shifted over so he was laying on his back. "You were fine with it all these years."

Nami cuddled into him, and buried her face into his chest. "Luffy, what do you think of that girl?"

"What about her?"

"She's been wandering around the forest alone for who knows how long. She's probably the same age as Anna. Just imagine what she went through in there, or what she saw that could possibly permanently damage her. Imagine Anna going through all of that."

Luffy, now wide awake, wrapped an arm around his wife. He didn't contemplate the possibility of his own daughter going through what that little girl went through. It pains him to imagine his little girl wandering alone and lost. Coming from a father's point of view, he felt sympathy for her and her family.

"We'll find her family," Luffy promised. "We'll take care of her until we do. And I know what you're thinking. She reminds you of you when you were younger, doesn't she?"

"More or less. I just want to help her in any way I can."

Luffy rubbed her forearm, then covered her eyes. "I'll make sure she finds her way home. Now, go to sleep. When morning comes, she'll probably be awake."

Nami didn't object. This must've been the reason for the pain in the pit of her stomach. She was reminded of her painful childhood. Luffy was covering her eyes, and holding her tight as a way of saying that she shouldn't be thinking of the past, because she's here _now_ with him.

-x-

It was before the crack of dawn that Zero pulled Taichi and Syo out of their slumber and dragged them into town. The eldest Monkey was barely awake and hardly had a chance to get dressed when Zero sneaked into his bedroom through his window and literally threw him out of his own room. It was Zero's way of telling him that he didn't want to let his mother know that he was leaving, because his own mother and Syo's don't know either.

"Tell me again, why are we in town?" Taichi asked while rubbing a sleepy eye.

"First, you guys are my lookout."

"Lookout for who?" asked an annoyed Syo. His current appearance -sweatpants and a raggedy old "kiss the cook" shirt- was very unappealing when he was out in public like this.

"For any of the others that are nearby."

"Like any of them would be out at this time around."

"In other words, you're onto something that you can't let any of the others know about. So, spill. What are we doing?" asked Taichi. He didn't mind going on 'secret missions' or small adventures. but he wasn't a morning person.

Zero sighed. He pulled them into an alley, away from few citizens that were awake at this hour and starting their day off. "I lost a katana when we fell into the river. My dad will get pissed if he ever finds that out. I have to get a new one before he finds out and kills me."

"You always carry around two katanas..." Taichi's voice trailed away when he noticed that there were two katanas on Zero's belt. "If you lost one, then why do you have two now?"

"Its one of those starter katanas from when I started out. Its very dull, but I've retouched it to where it looks like my other one."

"First and foremost, do you have enough money for a new sword?" asked Syo.

"That's the second reason why I brought you guys along. Lend me some cash."

"Hell no, dude!"

"Come on, your dad owns the most popular restaurant here and your mom's a princess for crying out loud!"

"Doesn't mean I'm just going to give you the money."

"Jeez, I'm so stupid!"

Syo nodded in approval. "Now you get where I'm-"

"Taichi, your dad owns the great treasure, lend me some of it."

Syo facepalmed. "You really don't know how this works."

Taichi shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Mom barely gives me much. I'm saving as much as I can get."

Zero shook his head. "You guys are useless. I should've taken Yasopp with me. Uncle Usopp's gadget store has been packed filled with customers lately."

"What are you three doing?" asked a new voice. The three boys jumped, then quickly turned to face the person with that familiar voice. Zero quickly placed his temporary katana back onto his belt.

"U-Uncle Chopper, what are you doing up this early?" Taichi stuttered.

"I'm always up this early.. and I should be asking you the same thing."

Taichi pursed his lips while a couple tears of sweat trickled down his temple. "W-We were just out for an early jog. Not like we're hiding anything."

Zero and Syo facepalmed. They completely forgot. Just like his father, Taichi was a horrible liar, and he was pretty obvious at that too. It was a trait of his that they could never get away with anything.

"Oh, okay," said Chopper. Both Zero and Syo sighed. Of course, their Uncle Chopper would believe anything.

"Are you heading to the hospital?" asked Syo.

"Actually, I'm heading over to your house, Taichi. Nami called me. The little girl's waking up and she wants me to check on her."

"Really?" This surprised Taichi. "Um, I'll come with you. I want to meet her too."

Zero was caught off guard by his sudden decision. "But, Taichi.."

"Syo's with you. Have fun with your jog," Taichi said while nodding his head to Chopper, reminding them who's there with them. "Let's go, Uncle Chopper."

Zero and Syo were startled when Taichi took off running while dragging Chopper behind him. Syo grimaced, then folded his arms. Zero was leaning on the wall while sulking.

"So, how are you going to get a new sword?" asked Syo.

"I don't know how long I can keep this going. I can go with this dull one for a couple days. Until then, I'll make some money."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Zero smirked. "What other way is there? I'm a pirate after all."

Syo pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. "All right, let's put it this way. For one whole day, we'll go around and see just how much we can make. I'd like to see how much _you_ make after one day."

"Deal's on. Loser does what ever the winner wants for one whole day."

"Deal."

* * *

**Fun Fact:**

**- Taichi Random Facts: He has raven black hair like his father, and even inherited his black orbs for eyes. Sometimes, he'd be mistaken for a younger version of Luffy. The Straw Hats were surprised at how much they looked alike when Taichi was younger. He has a small scar just beside his left eye (similar to Garp) from an incident that will be explained later on. Like his father, he relies more on actions than words, and he's a heavy eater. ****He is the second tallest, and the second oldest. His birthday is on December 15. **


	7. Chapter 7

Taichi dragged Chopper along as he ran back home. He was really eager to meet this mystery girl he found in the forest. Her presence made everyone curious and Taichi couldn't help but wonder what would've happened to her if he hadn't found her then. They entered the Monkey residence and immediately darted for the guest room. When the two stepped in, Taichi saw his whole family already gathered in the room, while the little girl was still in bed, but her eyes were open.

"She just opened her eyes," Haru explained.

The little girl sat up, but she looked more confused than frightened. Nami sat on the edge of the bed and smiled comfortingly.

"I'm glad you're awake. We found you deep in the forest yesterday and you were unconscious. Do you remember how you got there?" Nami asked softly. The little girl looked down, then shook her head in response. "I see... can you tell us your name?"

The little girl spoke up for the first time, but her voice was so weak, it was almost a whisper. "My name.. my name is.. Momo? That's my name."

Nami smiled. "What a cute name. Momo-chan, huh? My name is Nami. Ne, I need to ask, what were you doing in the forest? Were you separated from your family?"

"Nee-chan.. Nee-chan and I got separated. After that, I don't remember anything."

Luffy was watching Momo the whole time. Even as Nami tried to get some answers, he could tell Momo was trying hard to remember what happened to her. Her fidgeting fingers must've meant she was still nervous and insecure about her current surroundings. Her weak voice either meant she was exhausted from her adventure in the forest, or she didn't fully trust them yet. Either way, Luffy had ways to open her up. He got up from the chair and walked towards the bed. He placed his hands on his knees and leaned down to her level.

"Hi, Momo-chan. My name is Luffy. Is it okay if I call you Momo?" The little girl nodded. "Then, you can call me Luffy."

"Lu..ffy?" The Straw Hat captain smiled, and patted her head gently.

"You're probably scared of us. You don't need to worry. We're friendly people. Chopper, the talking raccoon over there, has been nursing you back to health ever since we found you."

His 'raccoon' comment angered the little reindeer. It was a joke within the crew that Chopper didn't really appreciate. "I'm a reindeer! That joke's getting old anyway!"

Momo giggled. Hearing her laugh calmed Chopper down. Nami couldn't help but smile. Its the first time she has smiled since she woke up. Luffy turned to his kids, who were staring at them from behind their mother.

"Kids, come say hello," said Luffy. The kids stared at one another, waiting to see who would start them off. Haru took the honor of being the brave one.

"Um, my name is Haru, and this is Anna." Haru bent down and picked up Anna off the floor. She was hiding behind Nami's legs, and her tiny height made it difficult for her to see above the bed. Haru could tell just by watching her. He placed his little sister on the bed next to their father. Anna felt shy. She was clutching Luffy's arm while her other hand covered her mouth.

"I'm Anna. If you want, we can play with my dolls in my room later," Anna offered.

Momo smiled. "Okay."

From her response, Anna beamed. She felt like she had made a new friend already. Next, Taichi stepped up behind Anna.

"I'm Taichi. I was the one who found you in the forest."

"Th..Thank you."

Chopper jumped onto the bed. He had to remind himself why he was here. "Okay, I need to check on Momo, so I need all of you to leave."

"Can I stay, Uncle Chopper?" asked Anna.

"Come on, Anna. Let's get you washed up first," said Nami. She took her daughter's hand and led her out of the room. Haru and Taichi followed. When Nami woke up, Momo was the first person she check, and seeing her waking up stunned her. She called for Luffy, accidentally waking the kids in the process. Because of this, none of them ever got the chance to get ready for the day.

Luffy was at the door where he looked back for a second.

"Breakfast will be ready for you when you're ready."

-x-

As always, Nami was in charge of making breakfast. Leaving Luffy anywhere near the stove could possibly result to the house catching on fire. Already seated at the table, Luffy nibbled on a cracker Chopper told him to eat if he was ever waiting for food. As Nami cooked, she couldn't help but think about Momo. Actually, she was all she thought about.

"Do you really think someone will recognize her if we take her into town?" asked Nami.

"She said she had an older sister. At least there's one person out there," replied Luffy. Nami sighed. Worst case scenarios ran through her mind. But she shook them off.

"For the time being, we'll take care of her until we find her sister," said Nami. Anna came dashing in, fully dressed and ready for the day. She hopped on to the chair next to her father and took a big whiff of her mother's cooking.

"Is it done yet?" asked Anna.

"Almost ready, honey," said Nami.

"Here, take a bite of this," said Luffy, offering her a small piece of his cracker. Anna examined it, before taking it from her father's hand and throwing it in her mouth. The little girl smiled.

"Oishi!"

-x-x-

While her mother prepared breakfast, Riki was ordered to wake up the sleeping boys. She made her first stop at her brother's room, which wasn't far from the living room. She knocked gently, although she knew he'd be asleep to even answer the door. She lightly opened the door and peeked inside. She walked to his bed where his figure under the blanket looked oddly bulgy. Riki reached for the blanket when suddenly she heard the window open and a hand reaching for the edge.

Riki was startled and terrified by the new intruder. She slowly backed herself to the wall, ready to scream for her parents to come. Just then, the 'intruder' revealed his face. At the same time Aria stepped in.

"Oi, Zero, can I borrow-" Aria's request was stopped abruptly. She was frozen at the door, while Riki was also frozen at her place as well. The two girls were staring at the window where their older brother was in the middle of getting in, but stopped when he saw them in his room. He, as well, had the same expression, until he noticed the open door.

"Close the door!" Zero ordered while proceeding to enter through the window. Aria jumped, but obeyed his request. A few years back, the three of them agreed to make a pact. Their parents' reputation don't deceive them, even if they act like normal parents in their little home. Their father can be strict and demanding, and their mother can be overprotective. Therefore, they agreed that if one of them gets into trouble, then no word about it goes to their parents. If one of them were caught, then the other two will help them out. It was a pact only the Roronoa siblings kept as a secret to themselves. Sure it brought them closer as siblings, but now if one is involved, then they all are.

"Where were you?!" Aria yelled, but not loud enough for their parents to hear.

"I just had to go out for a bit, no big deal. I'm back anyway," Zero tried to get around her question. It would be bad and embarrassing if he brought up the bet, and possibly lose.

"If Mom already found out about this.."

"I don't think she does. She told me to go wake Dad and Nii-chan up," said Riki.

"Well, at least I arrived on time. I better go before she comes up here herself," said Zero. He casually made his way around his sisters before exiting out of his room.

"We're not done here!" said Aria.

"Get out of my room!"

Aria scoffed. She and Riki followed Zero into the living room to see their mother on the den den mushi. The food was all ready and laid out on the dining table.

"Ee, I'll have her and Aria send some over after breakfast. How is she?"

Nami's voice was heard from the other line. "Mmm, I think she has amnesia, but-"

Suddenly, the voice changed to a slightly higher and childish voice. "Robin, all her scratches disappeared! It was like she was never injured in the first place! I checked her condition, her temperature, everything! How is this possible after one night?! Robin!"

Robin giggled at the reindeer's response. "Calm down, Chopper."

"Sounds like chaos over there," said Zero who took a bite out of his toast. Robin hung up, and took her seat at the end of the table.

"Auntie Nami's requesting some clothes that will fit Momo. Riki, would it be okay to give away a few clothes?" asked Robin. Riki nodded.

"So, her name's Momo, huh?" Zero wondered.

"Riki, where's your father?" asked Robin. Riki jumped in her seat. After the whole incident in Zero's room, she completely forgot to wake up her father.

-x-x-

Nami opened the door, pleased to see the Roronoa sisters standing at her door step. She stepped to the side to let the girls in.

"I'm glad you're here. Did you bring the clothes?" asked Nami. Riki stretched out her arms while holding onto a bag of clothes.

"Can we meet her?" Aria asked.

Nami smiled. "She's in the guest room playing with Anna. She'll be thrilled to meet you."

The sisters made their way to the guest room while cutting through the living room in the process. Aria was suddenly stopped when her name was called.

"Oi, Aria! What are you doing here?" asked Taichi.

"We came to see Momo," said Aria. Haru, who was sitting on the sofa with his older brother, ran towards them and held both of them in a chokehold. Ignoring their screams and squirms, Haru dragged them to the couch where Taichi sat.

"Whats the big idea!" said Aria.

"It hurts!" Riki complained.

"Shh! I need to talk with you about something!" said Haru. He crouched down, and pulled the girls with him. "I have a theory, but that's just it."

"Well, this better be good," Aria said sarcastically.

"I think Momo's still the ghost girl from those rumors-" Aria elbowed him in the stomach before he could finished.

"How rude. Just because we found her wearing a dress in the forest."

"Exactly! Plus, didn't you hear Uncle Chopper? Her scratches and bruises all disappeared! Explain that."

"Can you please let us go?" asked Riki. Haru quickly released his grip from the girls when he realized he still had them in a hold.

Riki coughed. "Maybe you're overreacting. Ghosts don't exist."

"Neither do dragons, but our parents saw one," Haru pointed out.

Taichi nodded. "He has a point."

"Don't tell me, you're on his side?" asked Aria.

"Actually, you should've seen her when she woke up this morning. She looked like an angel. She looked flawless after what happened to her in the forest. I mean, I'm not saying she's a 'ghost,' but there's something different about her."

"Nice job, Tai. For once, you actually agree with me," said Haru.

"I'm still not believing this," said Aria.

"Aw, come on! I think Tai and I's reasons are valid reasons, and we don't lie. You believe us, don't you, Riki?"

"Hey hey!" Aria pulled her sister closer to her. "Don't bring Riki into this."

"Ghost or not, I still want to meet her," murmured Riki.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot why we're here."

Haru jumped to his feet. "I'll introduce you then."

The four of them roamed through the living room and up the stairs. The guest room was the first room on the right. It was currently occupied by Momo and Anna who were playing with Anna's dolls just like she promised. When they reached the door, Haru knocked twice, then opened the door slightly and peeked his head in.

"Momo, there are two girls here that want to meet you. Can we come in?" asked Haru. Momo nodded in response.

Haru swung the door open fully and led the group in. Aria and Riki peered their heads over Haru's shoulders. Momo's lower half was still under the covers. She still sported one of Luffy's old shirts from when they brought her in to replace her tattered dress. Her glowing white hair flowed down her back and it looked stunning in the sunlight. Her complexion was perfect. In other words, her bruises and scratches were all gone.

"Wow," Riki said under her breath.

* * *

**09.12.13**

**If there are any mistakes, I apologize. I was editing and rereading this chapter while half-asleep. **


End file.
